


everyone in the school knows we're soulmates and we're both manipulative little shits who just care about staying popular so let's fake a relationship

by i_believe_in_well_written_mary_sues



Series: soulmates aint always romantic, but romantic aint a bad thing [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, Asexuality, Consent, Crushes, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Female Friendship, Flowers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Healthy Relationships, Hijinks & Shenanigans, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Romance, Platonic Soulmates, Queerplatonic Relationships, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2021-02-08 04:08:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21469813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_believe_in_well_written_mary_sues/pseuds/i_believe_in_well_written_mary_sues
Summary: Maybe this soulmate thing isn't actually all that bad.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime & Oikawa Tooru, Iwaizumi Hajime & Original Character(s), Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Oikawa Tooru & Original Character(s), Oikawa Tooru & Original Female Character(s), Oikawa Tooru/Original Character(s), Oikawa Tooru/Original Female Character(s)
Series: soulmates aint always romantic, but romantic aint a bad thing [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1622767
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tbh the story really only starts to pick up by ch6. If u dont mind having no context, feel free to skip

Kobayashi Riku is aware of how good she looks in Seijou’s gym uniform, thank you very much.

_ Not bad_, she muses, stepping out of the locker room, _ considering that we have the ugliest uniform in the district. _

She’s not exaggerating. It’s a known and accepted fact. Karasuno has the worst volleyball team. Shiratorizawa is prissy and pretentious. Aoba Johsai has the ugliest gym clothes. 

“We have the _ ugliest _ gym clothes,” comes the inevitable wail back from the locker rooms.

_ And there it is, _ she thinks. Like clockwork.

A shrill whistle blows.

“Hurry up,” she calls, turning around to catch the edge of the closing door. “Coach is here!”

The locker doors bang back open, and girls stream out. “How the hell do you change so fast?”

She grins, shrugs, and blows them a kiss.

“Today we’re starting our volleyball unit,” the gym teacher says. “Line up on both sides of the courts. Two per side per court. Skip the third,” he adds, as an afterthought. “The net isn’t set up right yet.”

“Third from which side?” a voice calls out from somewhere to her left.

The teacher scowls. “We only have three courts. Figure it out.”

He blows his whistle, and everyone scatters.

“We’re practicing serves,” he calls from his chair on the sidelines. “Ask someone if you don’t know how. Take turns!” His attention is then focused entirely on his phone.

_ Time to find some volleyball players, then_, she thinks.

“I’ve never played volleyball before,” she says to the nearest group of volleyball players that she conveniently places herself next to, all wide eyes and bewildered smile. “How do you serve?”

“You’ve _ never _ played before?” one says, teasing and horrified. “Okay, I’ll show you.”

“Thanks!” she beams. “Your name’s Sakura, right?”

The girl grins. “Yep!”

“Less talking, more serving,” the teacher hollers, looking dead at Sakura.

Riku winces. 

Sakura laughs, though, so it's _probably _alright. They turn back to the net. The boy across from her looks sympathetic. A soccer player, maybe, she thinks.

“Just watch me,” he mouths.

So she does. _ Soccer player _ , she decides, finally placing him. _ Kei, I think, or was it Kaito? _

He bounces the ball, once, twice, and then tosses it up before hitting it with his hand.

She picks it up.

“Easy right?” he says. “You try.”

So she bounces it, and then-

The ball hits her hand, and automatically flies up. Her body carries her forwards, sneakers squeaking on the varnished floor. Her steps echo and reverberate through the vaulted ceilings, heels stomping and launching her up with a distant _ thud. _She feels herself twisting as she rises, elbow and shoulder pulled back. 

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she hears the squeal of opening doors, a boy stepping through, calling for her teacher, and realizes that the gym has gone still and silent. She floats, weightless in the air for a moment that lasts a million years. Her eyes flick back to Kei-or-Kaito, and with all the comfort of instinct, she _ slams _ her hand down.

She lands on the balls of her feet. The gym doors click shut, and her volleyball _ smacks _ onto the floor, right where Kei-or Kaito used to be, before rolling to a stop under a pair of shoes.

A set of hands picks it up, eyes traveling from the volleyball to her face. And then he grins.

“Nice jump-serve,” Oikawa Tooru says.

“Thanks,” she responds automatically, shaken but _ sure. _

She blinks once, twice, _ any longer will be suspicious _, she thinks and then gives him her best smile, the one that melts hearts and gets her free food, the one that made her the darling of the school.

She feels her feet moving- _ again? why do they keep doing things on their own?- _and she comes to a stop right in front of the net, her soulmate on the other side.

_ Great symbolism, _ she thinks idly, glancing up at him _ \- wow he’s tall _\- through the threads.

“Hey,” he says softly.

“Hey yourself,” she says back, intensely aware of their audience, which consists of literally the entire class.

As they smile at each other, she gives herself a second to think. _ He’s pitched his voice loud enough for everybody to hear, but soft enough to seem intimate. He’s about as popular as I am. His smile is real but exaggerated. He’s widening his eyes to seem less threatening. He’s a volleyball player. His palms are open. He has a legit fanclub. His shoulders are tilted back, a little too far to be comfortable, but it looks good. He’s childish and cocky. He’s tilting his head down, but it’s still high enough that everybody can see his face. Haruto’s on my right and he’s the only one who sneaks his phone to gym. _

Her thoughts flash through her head as she says, snarky and confident and still with one of her best smiles, “I think you have something of mine.”

“Your heart?” he teases, and chucks the volleyball over the net to her, eyes softening and body tilted a little towards their audience. She feels a prickle at the back of her neck, and remembers the girl who sprained her ankle, resting on the bleachers at her 7 o’clock. _ She has her phone too, then. _

The bell rings before she can answer, but his eyes bore into hers.

So she takes the chance- _ it’s not a risk it’s her soulmate- _and winks, just as the bell stops. “In your dreams, King Dumbass,” she says, and turns around.

_ Riku: exit stage left, _she thinks with satisfaction, as the gym doors swing shut behind her.

She knows, without looking back, that he has his face set in an appropriately lovestruck expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you havent noticed this is not going to be canon. Major changes: there’s no uniform except in sports and stuff because uniforms suck. also this is gonna be a weird blend of american and japanese culture cause tbh i have no idea what japanese people do. Honestly the only things japanese are gonna be names and some food. Otherwise assume this is basically america with soulmates, they just happen to speak japanese for some reason. No suffixes. They’ve become too much of a meme i refuse to use suffixes. Also in this they’re both underclassmen. Freshmen? Sophomores? I have no idea but they’re in the same grade.


	2. public relations

A gaggle of girls pour into the locker room right after she does, hushed and excited and giggly and _happy_ for her.

“Oh my god, you were so badass.”

“You are so cute together!”

“Too-ru and Ri- ku sitting in a treeee-”

“Oikawa is soooo dreamy.”

“You just straight up called him a dumbass and _left_! What an icon.”

“Did you see his _face!”_

“His fanclub’s gonna be so disappointed.”

“So when are you two gonna get married?”

She smiles, soft and giddy at the same time. “Of course I was badass,” she says. “I’m me.”

The girls laugh and start chattering away, discreetly pulling out their phones. “Send me the video,” she hears a girl whisper.

_Okay_, she decides. Okay. _They’re all nice, and we need all the good press we can get._

“So what’s it like meeting your soulmate?” Sakura asks, and she hears a few conversations fall flat as people try to listen.

Riku smiles. “No comment,” she teases, before throwing her backpack on. “You’re all gonna be late!” she calls to the girls. “Hurry up!”

“But Rikuuuu-,” a freshman she’s pretty sure is called Mei says. “You gotta tell us everything!”

“Class starts in two minutes!” Riku laughs, but hesitates at the door. Gently, wistfully, she confesses like a secrets- “It felt like home.”

The entire building echoes with_ awww_!s, and she runs away, face pink, but smiling like a loon.

She goes through the rest of her school day answering questions and laughing and joking and teasing. She thinks about getting his number from one of her friends, or maybe messaging him on insta, but. She left him. _The ball’s in your court_, she thinks. _What are you gonna do?_

At the end of school, there’s a shiny new message waiting for her on her spam Twotter. _**That’s not what your dad said last night**_, proclaims the username. And somehow, she knows it’s him. Grudgingly impressed, but not surprised that he managed to find it, she taps on the profile picture of a worm on a string.

_This is his actual spam account_, she realizes, oddly touched. She does a cursory look-through of his page before opening his message.

_Hey Riku_, it reads. _Starbucks at four today?_

_Public_, she thinks. _Popular for dates. Today’s Monday- I have enough time._ She sends him a cat video in reply, and heads over to Starbocks.

_Going to starbucks_, she texts her friends. _If i dont text again by five assume ive been murdered and am never to return. avenge me_

_Or having the best sex of your life with your soulmate_, comes the immediate reply. And at almost the same time-

_oooooh ur going on a daaaate _

_Murdered from boning oikawa sure_

_ Why the fuck did the three of you have the exact same reaction at the exact same time_, she sends. _Shut up._

Three copies of her gym encounter sent from three different people immediately hit the groupchat. She scowls, and tries not to laugh.

She's going soft. She'd only counted two phones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapters short cause the next ones gonna be longggg.


	3. plans

Oikawa waves her over from his table in the corner of the cafe. She feels eyes on her, but-_ it’s a school day, there’s not as many people._ She does a quick scan of the room._ Just enough to have enough witnesses to confirm we’re on a date. All middle schoolers and adults, actually,_ she realizes, _perfect. Just busy enough that we can be seen but not heard._

She sets her cup of fruit tea down carefully. “I don’t want a romantic relationship right now,” she says immediately, not wary, not exactly. Firm. Probing.

Oikawa relaxes almost immediately. “Oh thank god,” he sighs, and gives her a brilliant smile.

She relaxes too, feels her toes uncurl in her sneakers. They sip on their drinks, and she thinks.

“Thanks for the flexibility,” he says. “Are you a dancer?”

She nods, resting her face on her hand. “And thank you for the French. Made me feel posh.”

He nods too. And then. “Please tell me you’re as manipulative as I am,” he says, joking, always joking, but she recognizes it with a glow of interest.

“Of course,” she sniffs. “Soulmates, remember?”

They stare at each other, measuring and weighing. “Good job with your first words to me,” she says. “Very quotable.”

“Your exit was great,” he counters. “Set our relationship on equal ground.”

She chews her lip, the praise for her actions settling around her. _Being honest is weird_, she thinks.

“Let’s plan,” he says, as soon as she opens her mouth to say the same thing. Her lips curl into a real smile._ Soulmates indeed_.

She almost laughs when he pulls out a notebook, but she can’t really, because she did the same thing.

“First things,” she says, calm. “Make a list of abilities, and we can cross-check to see if they transferred. I think our transference rate is pretty high, but.”

He nods. “We need to exchange numbers too-- here,” he says, pulling her notebook towards him and scribbling down a number.

“I’ll text you,” she promises, and then stares at the notebooks with a slowly dawning sense of immensity. “We need _so_ much more tea."

He looks amused. “This’ll take-- how many hours do you think this’ll take?”

She considers. “Depends. I’d say one, at least. Five at most, and that’s my curfew.”

He nods. “I’ll just order a whole bunch, then. Decaffeinated, of course, don't worry, I'm an athlete too,” he says, forestalling her objections. He pauses a moment and then adds idly, “Good thing I got a big table.”

She waves him off in a suitably besmitten way and sucks down her drink.

_Okay._

_He doesn’t want a romantic relationship either, expected considering the soulmates thing. He can act as good as I can. We could have a bad breakup, but that would damage both of our reputations considerably. We could stay platonic, but that would still hurt us, me especially, because gender roles or something-- we gotta fix that some time, that's _so_ last generation. Plus, there’s still a couple conservatives in our grade. Even those except the most radical liberals have some distrust of platonics, even more so if we ever do try to date anyone else._ She crunches a piece of ice between her teeth. _We could fake a relationship, but we wouldn’t be able to date anyone else, once again, and it would take some time._

Oikawa comes back with a tray of drinks and pastries. She smiles up at him gratefully. _Less time than a real relationship, though, and we would have an absolute spike in popularity,_ she decides.

“I think fake dating’s our best option,” she tells him, and he nods easily.

“We’re pretty in sync, should be easy. I'm down."

Well. That's one thing. "And. Um, we're both pretty affectionate people-"

"You can just call me a playboy," he teases.

"We're both pretty affectionate people," she repeats. "So the defining feature of this relationship has to be that we're less affectionate than we would be otherwise."

"Easy," he says. "We can let each other _get away with things_, but we'll still insist we're friends."

"Exactly," she beams. "I know you've lent a ton of people your jackets, but you have one that you've never let anyone wear, right?"

"Yeah," he agrees. "I can give it to you when it's actually cold-- I keep it in my locker."

She eyes him. "It's your varsity volleyball jacket, isn't it."

He does not blush. "Maybe."

She rolls her eyes. "I don't have anything like that, but we can trade varsity jackets later on. Stunt or choir?"

He furrows his brow. "Stunt. Since when did choir have varsity jackets?"

"No clue!" she says, and swaps their drinks when nobody's looking. "Mmm, okay, a tea guy. Not the worst."

"I refuse to support the Starbucks coffee trade," he says blandly.

"Okay, step one," she says. "_Stop_ with the performative activism around me, got it? I get _way_ too much of it just hanging around all these resume centered charity and volunteering clubs."

He pauses a moment, and then goes back to grinning. "Agreed. And we need rules. Any physical contact you’re uncomfortable with?”

“No,” she says, going out on a limb, because the fact that he'd _asked_ gives her good vibes and-- she knows, somewhere deep inside her, that her soulmate _wouldn't_ be someone who abused that trust. “I’m ticklish, though. We can use that.”

He barely blinks. “Same to both. Also- none of that shitty romcom business. If we have feelings, we fucking tell each other. I’m not gonna let someone who’s supposed to be my best friend ruin our relationship because we’re too fucking far up our asses to accept it.”

She smiles, relieved. “Glad we’re on the same page.”

She sends a text to her friends- _This is oikawa. Riku commited dead, im so sorry_\- and doesn’t check for replies. She breathes in. Out.

They start planning.

“We need nicknames for each other,” he says.

“Idiot and shorty, easy. Next.”

“Shorty’s so common though,” he protests. And casts about wildly for an idea. “Bean.”

She wrinkles her nose, but ends up laughing anyways. "Really? You're one of those _coffee is bean juice _people?"

"No," he admits. "Only when it's funny. Iwaizumi _hates_ it when I do shit like that."

"Yeah, that's fair," she says. "Okay, call me short bean first, and when we start fake-dating-dating you can call me bean.”

“Short bean?” he says, judging, because he has standards.

“Try it,” she says, lips twitching. “You can probably pull it off.”

“Short bean,” he says, fondly, and then immediately takes a gulp of his chai to hide his immediate reaction, which she's eighty percent sure is somewhere between gagging and giggling. “Okay, I can do it.”

She makes a disbelieving noise. "Say it without acting like you're going to die and I might believe you." but nicknames are small fry, so. "Let’s start the real stuff.”

And they plan out their lives, in detail for this year and roughly until graduation. They fill half of her notebook, and a third of his. It only takes three hours, because they’re awesome, five teas and three waters, six cakepops and one ice cream from across the street. She lets Oikawa pay.

_Simple enough_, she thinks, eyes roving over the timeline. _Take it slow. Friends first, but definitely still something there._

“Should I ask you to marry me at graduation?” he teases, and she scowls.

“No way,” she says. “I’ll give you a kiss on the cheek at graduation, and a full on kiss when they give us our awards for king and queen at prom.”

“Confident, are we,” he says dryly, and she rolls her eyes.

“We are literally going to be the most popular couple in the Miyagi Prefecture,” she says. “Don’t pretend to be modest.”

He raises his hands in surrender, giving her a look that makes something in her heart warm.

_Oh_, she thinks. _This is what it feels like to be accepted for who you are._

“Final things,” she says. “We need special smiles for each other and-” She frowns. “And something that I forgot, but smiles first.”

“I already got it down after you forsook me callously in the gym,” Oikawa assures her. And gives her the most melty-soft-sweet-snarky-trusting look she’s ever seen.

“Woah,” she says, impressed. “Tone it down a little, we can’t give it away that fast.”

He sips on his water smugly. “Let’s see yours.”

She concentrates on the fluff she feels when he’s sweet, the best things she likes about him, and the best things she likes about _herself_. She thinks of how they both played their classmates in perfect harmony, She thinks of the hours they spent in this corner, laughing and smiling until her cheeks hurt. She thinks of everything to come, and she basks in the glow of it, like the sun on a warm afternoon, or the air condition on a hot day, and blankets during a cold night.

She shoots him an entirely genuine look of adulation and _trust_, and she sees his barriers break.

“_Awwwwww_,” he says. “Lemme take a picture.”

And because she knows that they’re both the type to let others play around on their phone, she scoots a little nearer to him and reins in the look until it’s only there in her eyes and the corners of her mouth.

“Choose one,” he says, sliding his phone over. And then immediately grabs hers to start taking selfies. She deletes all but two, and waits for him to stop messing with his hair and her phone.

“You know one of my talents is eating whatever I want without gaining any weight or impacting my athletic ability?” she says sweetly, as a couple from their school walks in, and watches him shoot her a look of absolute betrayal.

“No,” he wails dramatically. “You tell me after I’ve drank nothing but water for two hours?”

She swallows a giggle. “How did you not realize after you went on that milk-bun binge and played perfectly the next day?”

He sulks. “Magic?” She rolls her eyes and checks the time.

“Seven,” she says. “Just in time for dinner.”

He holds his hand out for her to high five. “Remember we plan our first coffee run tomorrow. Call me during your gym period.”

She smacks his hand. They meet square on. They are _very_ good at high fives. She picks up her bags, and lets Oikawa help her out of her seat.

“Oh,” she remembers, as his hand swallows hers. “Okay we need to take advantage of how good our hands look, but also--” She stands straight up, looks him in the eye as best she can. “We cannot tell my parents. Gods, they would freak if they thought I was dating in highschool.”

“Same,” Oikawa responds. “Okay, we don’t tell our parents. Not about the soulmate thing either. Um, it would still be good it we could go to each other’s houses, though.”

“Friends then. Should we tell anyone else? You probably wanna let Iwaizumi know, right?”

“Yeah,” he confirms. “He’ll definitely know something’s up and totally blow our cover.”

“Also you wanna make sure he knows that you’re still available.”

He rolls his eyes at her. “I do not have a crush on Iwaizumi.”

“Okay,” she says, and he looks at her warily so she adds on- “When I say okay, I mean okay. Relax.”

He drops it. “So we both let one person know?”

“Yeah,” she says nodding. “I might not tell anyone, because all secrets are either in the groupchat or not told at all, and three of my friends knowing is way too much, but yeah.”

“We’re so efficient,” Oikawa says gleefully. And then pauses. “Shit, where do you live? I’ll walk you home.”

“Thank you,” she says, genuinely. “I’d like that.”

And so they set off.

“I could’ve totally murdered you in that alley back there,” Oikawa tells her, a bit unnerved. “You literally have known me for three and a half hours.”

“One, you’re my soulmate, and no soulmate of mine would murder someone right after they were seen together in a coffee shop,” she sniffs. “Two, we both know I told someone I was out tonight, and three--”

She trails off, slowing a little, eyes soft, “Three, your fanclub talks about you."

"Oh no," he says, mostly joking, but he turns serious when she tugs on his hand.

"Your fanclub talks," she repeats, because this is important. "About how you’ve walked them home in risky situations. Even when you were busy, or when-- when it would've been _better_ not to. You really did save some of my friends. I know Rei had a genuine stalker, and you scared him off.” She takes a deep breath. “Thank you for that. It-- it really helped them, even when you just walked them to their bikes after clubs when it was dark.”

She feels his fingers wind through hers, and she smiles up at him. “You have so many female fans because you treat them right. You’re not creepy. You’re not remotely sexist or dismissive, even when you’re joking. You treat everyone like they’re human. You’re-- what you do matters. And I know everybody-- we joke about it, but you really do deserve every bit of love the fanclub throws your way, okay?”

He quiets, musing over her words. And then he smiles- a real smile. “Thank you,” he says, as they come to a stop outside her house.

They immediately drop their hands, and he waves. “Don’t forget to call me Tooru tomorrow,” he calls, and she steps into the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna write more but my fingers got tired


	4. more plans (still very boring)

She comes home and wants to _scream_.

She's heard of Oikawa Tooru before. How could she not have? The boy who half her friends have or have had crushes on.

But. She doesn't think it will affect her friendships? She runs through the list. _Yuzu likes him_. _A_ lot. She winces. _Yuzu is also sweet as anything. I'll ask her how she's doing tomorrow- it'll be fine._

She starts her math homework, frowning. _It could've been so much worse_, she tells herself, and it's true. So. 

It's when she's on the verge of sleep when she decides, _he's probably the best person that could've been my soulmate._

* * *

She facetimes him in the middle of her gym period.

He picks up on her second try. “Sorry, had to find a random closet to hide in, you know how it is. It was _ really _hard to get permission to leave, by the way.”

“Well maybe if you didn’t ditch study hall all the time, you’d be able to when it really matters,” she teases. 

He pouts. And then Iwaizumi’s scowl fills the screen.

“I still think both of you are fucking stupid,” he says. “Explain to me why, exactly, you’re fake dating.”

“Well,” she says, amused. “Neither of us want to date for real, for one, and to answer more I need to know what you don’t understand.”

Iwaizumi’s scowl subsides, a little. “If you don’t want to date, then don’t date and screw everyone else.”

Her smile grows wistful. “Thanks Iwaizumi,” she says. “But you know that neither of us want to risk that.”

He huffs out a breath. “Thank god I’m not popular. I’d go insane.”

Tooru pops back in the frame, swinging an arm around his shoulders. “Iwaizumi’s just grumpy because he doesn’t understand our plan,” he whispers to her conspiratorially.

She turns an interested gaze on Iwaizumi, and he looks apologetic. “Why are you planning all this out? Just say you’re dating, and everyone will accept it. It would save all that time that the two of you freak out about.”

Tooru hums. “If we plan it, we just need to make it _ look _ like we’re dating. We meet a couple times a week, and everyone thinks that we meet more. Still less time than a real relationship.”

“That’s exactly what you said the last three times I asked,” Iwaizumi says. “I was asking Riku. Why not just say you’re dating and be done with it?”

She cocks her head. “If we’re spending the effort to make it look like we’re dating, we might as well make it a grand love story. If we date too soon, our popularity will suffer a hit, _ and _ everybody will lose interest. If we drag it out, it’ll make the most amount of impact for the same amount of work. And no, we can’t just say we’re dating and _be done with it _because everyone expects us to act like a couple, which still means meeting a couple times a week, and, you know, _being a couple_.”

Iwaizumi sighs again. “This is so fucking convoluted,” he groans. And she thinks he's being a tad bit dramatic. The hypocrite, Iwaizumi loves drama _just_ as much as they do, why do they let him make fun of them for that again? “Good luck.”

Tooru beams. “Awww, you’re giving us your blessing?”

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes.

Tooru makes an exaggerated frown at him, then turns to her. “Now about tomorrow’s coffee--”

“Tomorrow you have late-start, right? Do you have enough time to pick it up before school or should we get it today and stick it in the fridge?”

“I have enough time,” he confirms. “The Starbocks is on my way to school, anyways.”

“Cool. Get me whatever,” Riku says. “I’ll give you my scrunchie in thanks, then--” She cuts herself off. “Actually, the only scrunchie I have is purple, so... hm, get me something with whipped cream.”

“Great,” he says, cheerfully. “One dragonfruit acai with whipped cream, got it.”

She pauses. "Okay, so I know you're doing that to gross me out or something," she says, "And yes, I'm appropriately horrified at the combining of fruit and dairy, but, like, think about it! It would taste good, right?"

"...no," Tooru says. "No? It wouldn't?"

She scowls. "Killjoy."

She hears Iwaizumi's laugh before Tooru presumably chokes him off.

"Anyways," she continues conversationally. "I’ll hug you tomorrow, so tell me if you have any bruises.”

“Only my left shoulder right now,” he says. “I’ll let you know if that changes.”

“Good. Meet five minutes before class-- my locker or yours?”

“Yours, obviously,” he says. “I’m surprising you, remember?”

She groans. “Ugh, I can’t believe I forgot that, ignore me. Tomorrow, then, and lunch today.”

Iwaizumi watches them, amused and slightly disapproving. “Just so you know, I still hate the plan for today.”

Riku sticks her tongue out. “Tough luck, Zoomie. You shouldn’t have asked for a quiz retake if you didn’t wanna be part of it..”

Iwaizumi gives her a half-hearted glare, and a small spike of guilt winds through her.

“Remember, leave ten minutes ‘til the end of lunch. Don’t be early, and it’s cool if you’re late and need more time. That just gives us more time for improv,” Tooru says, obviously thinking the same thing.

“I know,” he says. “I’m hardly going to risk my grade for your guys' dumb plans.”

“I’m _ offended, _Zoomie.”

Iwaizumi frowns at her, then obviously decides it isn’t worth it and leaves.

She and Tooru burst into laughter as the door slams shut.

Then Tooru pouts. “_Zoomie? _”

She shrugs.

He rolls his eyes dramatically. “Please do _ not _ become friends with him. He likes you too much for making my nickname “idiot” already. I don’t think I could survive if you two decided to gang up on me.”

“Too late,” she sings. “Did he not tell you that we’re lab partners?”

He wails. “_No!”_

* * *

Lunch happens all too slowly and quickly- she’s talked to how many people now? There’s still two more she has to hit, thankfully both in her math class, but people still come up and _ talk _ to her and it’s almost exhausting. _ And _ she’s sitting with her largest, most popular, and most gossipy group of friends, because that’s show biz, baby.

_ A couple minutes, _she texts to Tooru, and as soon as there is a lull in the conversation at her lunch table, Tooru shows up, ruffling the hair that she left down today. “Hey Riku,” he winks, standing behind her. “Guess who.”

“What’s up, Tooru?” she asks, tilting her head back on the chair to look at him upside down.

She swears that half the cafeteria goes silent.

_ (“Tooru _ ?” her friends mouth in the background. “Since _ when? _”)

He mixes his face into a look of surprise and delight that she used his first name, and rearranges it slowly enough that hopefully everyone gets a chance to see.

“Just visiting,” he says casually. 

She smiles a little, a sweet, shy, barely-there thing, and stretches her hand up towards him.

He gently curls his fingers into hers, and the entire cafeteria lets out a sigh.

“You gonna be there to cheer me on at our game?” he asks. “We’re gonna kick some Date Tech ass.”

“Tempting,” she says, unmoved by his charms. “I have a Science Olympiad competition, though.” 

His face falls, just barely, and her eyes look at him in apology.

“You hardly need me to cheer you on,” she says, poking. “The day you need support to beat _ Date Tech _is the day I’m disowning you.”

He brightens, laughing. “And you definitely don’t need help for Science Olympiad, nerd.”

She rolls her eyes at him. “Laugh all you want, Mr. _Advanced _Calculus.”

He flushes, but valiantly pushes onwards. “At least I don’t do all my homework during classes,” he says, still so lighthearted that even the most sensitive of their listeners knows it’s a joke-_ god’s it’s annoying playing nice when we both can be so much witty and interesting- _and then he cocks his head.

She glances to the right, and sees Iwaizumi wave at Tooru. _ Ten minutes left for lunch. Right on schedule. _“Your boyfriend’s calling, Tooru,” she says, still with no heat, vanilla as possible. “See you.”

“See you,” he says, fondly, tousling her hair again before leaving.

Her friends all stare at her, cooing and laughing.

“What?” she says, only a little defensive-_ play nice _\- and hopes that her cheeks are the right shade of pink.

“_Tooru? _” one says, needling her. 

She makes herself flush a little more. “That’s his name, isn’t it?”

_"He wanted you to be at his game! _ ” another hisses in a valiant effort to stay quiet. “Oh my god, are you _ dating _?”

“We’re just friends,” she insists, _ mission accomplished-- set the rumors, _ and continues_. _“Friends go to games.”

“He literally walked in here to talk to you,” another insists, and wow, sitting here has really paid off. “We’re in the cafeteria, and Oikawa sits in the _ gym _ during lunch.”

She blinks, as though she’s just realizing that. “He probably wanted to get a fork or something,” she says, a weak excuse. 

Her friends look at her in exasperation, but drop it. She lets a smile curve around her mouth, and texts Tooru.

_ How did iwaizumi finish his retake that fast? _

Tooru responds almost immediately. _ because he only got one problem wrong and hes a nerd _

_ You walked him all the way to the language arts building to retake one question??? _

The texting bubble pops up, disappears, and starts again.

_ ,,,,,,,,,yes _

She snorts, very carefully not smiling.

Tooru texts again. _ i may have walked him across campus but did we or did we not crush our cafeteria meeting _

_ Fine, _ she admits. _ It was worth it _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So basically what happened is that iwaizumi had a quiz retake he wanted to do and oikawa walked him to and from it so iwaizumi didnt look like a loner. Iwaizumi honestly didnt care but oikawa did it anyways, because reasons. While he was retaking his test, oikawa and riku decided to orchestrate a meeting because theyre manipulative little shits and half the school sits in the cafeteria. Iwaizumi went along with it because he thought it was funny.


	5. im bored my dudes

_plan is go,_ Tooru texts. 

She makes her way to her locker, going slowly enough that she has the chance to talk to anybody of import. And then her phone buzzes again.

_Why am I in this chat?_

She squints at the contact name. _Who the fuck is Zoomba--? _Oh shit, that's Iwaizumi.

_Because youre part of the team!! _she sends, spinning open her locker. 

_yeah_, Tooru agrees. _its a heist!!!! our team obviously needs a chat!!!_

She _knows_ Iwaizumi is making a face. She stacks her books randomly in her locker, buying time. 

"Yuzu!" she calls brightly. "Hey, how're you doing?"

Yuzu starts, and then laughs, walking over. "I'm great! What about you?"

She grins, aware of the slight circles she drew under her eyes. She... _would_ feel guilty about taking advantage of Yuzu's mother-henning, but it's not _technically_ a lie. She had stayed up late last night <strike>by about five minutes, but who's counting?</strike>, it's not her fault that she has great skin. "I'm good too. How's basketball going?"

Yuzu frowns a little. "Basketball's the same as ever but-- are you sure you're getting enough sleep?"

She waves it off. "Yeah, just stayed up a little late. It's no biggie!"

"Riku," Yuzu says, sternly. "You need to sleep. Why were you up late?"

She pulls an uncomfortable face. "I had a lot of homework," she admits, and, well, that part's true.

Yuzu smiles slightly. "Honors student," she teases. "I'm so proud- little Riku is growing up."

"Yes_ mom," _she says, rolling her eyes. "Anyways, I wanted to talk to you about something. Is this an okay time?"

"Yeah," Yuzu says, curious. "What about?"

She takes a little breath. "Um. Please give me, like, two minutes, and then you can say whatever you want." She waits for Yuzu's nod before continuing. "I. Um. Know about your crush on Oikawa." She sees Yuzu try to deny it, or maybe apologize, but she keeps going. "I wanted to say-- we're not in a relationship. We're just friends, I don't mind. Um. Just thought you might wanna know."

Yuzu softens. "Riku, honey," she says, simply, like she's stating a fact. "You're soulmates, we're not. It's never gonna work."

She frowns, a little bit genuinely. "Just because we're soulmates doesn't mean that we have to date," she insists, honest. "Right now, you're more important to me than some guy. I know that you really like him, even if he is my soulmate. I'm giving you permission. Just in case."

"Thank you, Riku," Yuzu tells her, grateful. "But. I _saw _the video--"

"Of course you did," Riku says, fondly. "Sorry, go on."

"I saw it," Yuzu says. "And wow- you guys just have-- really great chemistry." She raises a hand. "I'm not just saying that, Riku. You guys honestly looked like you're halfway in love."

"We're just friends," Riku cuts in, like she's expected to.

"Even if you're just friends," Yuzu says, earnest. "Anyways, Oikawa's a great guy and all, but I can't really see a future with him. You, though. You two are a great match."

_ Yuzu, _she thinks, exasperated_. I mean, this basically went how I thought it would, but_ seriously. "Thank you," she says. "Love you, Yuzu, you're a sweetheart, oh my god."

And then Tooru arrives, which. Inconvenient, but okay. He sees her, and then ducks his head away. _T- minus twenty seconds._

"Love you too, Riku," Yuzu says, opening her arms. "Hoes over bros?"

"Hoes over bros," she agrees, laughing, stepping into the hug. Yuzu sees Tooru right after they separate, eyes widening a little.

"Riku!" he says, all smiles, carrying a drink tray. "Oh-- and Yuzu, too! Hey guys."

"Hey Tooru," she says, looking up at him through her lashes. "What's up?"

"Hey Tooru," Yuzu echoes. Riku sneaks a look at her face. _Okay. She's getting over him._

"Well," Tooru says, "Iwaizumi forced me to pick up drinks this morning, so I'm giving his away to spite him. Want some coffee?"

"Really?" she squeals, excited, like they didn't plan this entire thing out. "Oh my gosh, yes. _Is that a caramel frapp--!"_

"Yep," he says, laughing. "Extra whip, too."

She beams at him, taking a sip. The sugar bursts over her tongue, and she lets her happiness spread across her face. 

"This tastes amazing," she says, wide-eyed.

"It has four caramel shots," Tooru informs her. "I have no idea how you can stand that much sugar."

She pouts. "It tastes good!"

He rolls his eyes fondly. "You're going to get diabetes," he says. 

She smacks his arm, giggling. "Rude. Here, Yuzu, try some! It's not_ that _sweet, right?"

Tooru has a conflicted expression on his face and- _wow he's a really good actor._

Yuzu looks between them. "Uh, no way, Riku," she says, giving Tooru an understanding look. "I know what kind of things you think 'aren't that sweet'."

"Betrayal," she says dramatically, swooning into Tooru's arms. He catches her, surprised. "I can't believe you, Yuzu."

Tooru laughs, lowly. "Two to one, Riku. You're outnumbered."

She moves away from him, cuddling her drink to her chest. "I can trust nobody," she tells it mournfully, making sure that Tooru's name is clearly visible on the cup. "You are my one true love." 

Tooru swallows, his adam's apple dipping. "Well," he says. "I can tell when I'm not wanted. Later, Riku, Yuzu."

When he leaves, Yuzu begins to shriek.

"Oh my _god_, Riku. You two are so goddamn _blind."_

"What," she says, bewildered, internally dying from having to have acted like _that_. She-- well. Thank god no theater kids were watching, because they would have called her _out_. Well. Doesn't matter, though. This next part's more important, really. Popularity isn't what you _do_, it's how you manage people's reactions. And she is very, very good at that.

"Isn't that _your_ normal coffee order? Caramel frapp?"

"I don't get extra caramel shots," she points out. "I really should, though. Wow, I did not know what I was missing out on."

_"He got that coffee for you,_" Yuzu cries. "You think Iwaizumi drinks that monstrosity? _No!_"

She opens her mouth, and then closes it. 

"He got you _coffee_," Yuzu emphasizes. "Just kiss him already."

She flushes. "He got me coffee because we're_ friends_," she says, and. Well. Her friends do get her coffee pretty often.

"You met him two days ago," Yuzu says. "So he came up with an excuse to give you coffee- _your _coffee order. Gods, how are you in so many weighted classes but still _so stupid?_"

_ You're a good friend Yuzu,_ she thinks fondly, as Yuzu chatters away about nothing.

It's when she reaches her first period lit class that she remembers that she didn't give Tooru her scrunchie. _ Oh well. I can always give it to him later._

A new round of screams begins when she settles at her desk.

"_Oikawa got you coffee?!_"

Five more periods of the same exact thing to go!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter? Ok boomer


	6. new girl

The first real problem in the plan happens about four months in, just during the start of spring.

Because Journalism just fucking hates her, apparently.

Or. Well. One specific girl in Journalism is just a little bit too smart.

"Hello, Riku," Suzuki Yuna says. "Can I interview you for the school newspaper?"

"Oh?" she says, curious, like a _fool_. "About what?"

"I'm doing a story about high school relationships," Yuna says. "Of course I want you and Oikawa in it. You're, like, the perfect couple."

"We're just friends," she says, weakly. "Sorry."

"That's okay," Yuna insists. "I'm doing platonic relationships too. Giving some more recognition to soulmates who don't want a romantic relationship, you know? Friendship is just as strong a relationship as romance."

There shouldn't have been anything wrong with that, really, but Riku can recognize a fellow liar when she sees one. "Well in that case," she says, brightly. "We'd be honored to do an interview."

Yuna visibly flinches. _She really needs to learn how to act better, _Riku muses, before Yuna says, "Wonderful! Would tomorrow after school be a good time?"

"Sure," she assures her. "It'll need to be less than thirty minutes long, though. I have stunt practice tomorrow. But, um, what did Tooru say?"

Yuna starts. "Oh, I wanted to ask you first," she says. "I plan on asking him during lunch today. It's fine if he can't go, though. Solo interviews are great, too!"

Riku nods. She doesn't offer to ask Tooru for her. "I'll see you tomorrow, then," she says. 

"Goodbye!" Yuna calls, walking off. "Tomorrow!"

She frowns. _I sure hope that I'm just being paranoid. _She messages their group chat at night, after she's done with homework. _Did a girl called yuna ask to interview you tomorrow_

Iwaizumi and Tooru respond at the same time.

_No._

_no_

_Shit, _she thinks, amused._ That's not good. _

_She asked to interview me, _she sends. _Shes writing a paper for journalism abt highschool relationships_

_ok? _Tooru sends. _and u told her were just friends and it all turned out ok_

_I told her were friends,_ she agrees. _But she says she wants to offer rep to platonics too_

_So what's the problem? _Iwaizumi says. _Sounds great._

She thinks of what to say. _Yuna did say she was going to ask Tooru during lunch, but maybe she chickened out? Tooru can be scary. Innocent until proven guilty._

_Idk, _she says. _Her vibes were off_

_lmao_

_Riku._

She scowls, and then makes it a video call. "They _were_," she says, as they pick up. "I think Yuna's part of the fanclub? I don't know. Just a feeling, I guess. Probably nothing."

Iwaizumi perks up. "_Suzuki_ Yuna?"

She blinks. "Yeah, why?"

"Um," Iwaizumi says. "She wants to go into investigative reporting. I'm pretty sure she doesn't just want to write a fluffy segment on relationships."

She and Tooru blank as they realize what he's saying.

"She could be investigative-ly reporting the effects soulmates and the societal biases surrounding them," Tooru says half-heartedly. 

She snorts, ignoring him. "Thanks, Zoomie. I think I'm gonna call in my one person."

They look at her. "You're gonna tell _her?_" Tooru says, nose wrinkling. "Okay. Your call."

"Damn straight," she says. "I have a plan."

"Send it," Iwaizumi says. At their looks, he protests, "It's _weirdly_ entertaining, but I'm not condoning it. Like a trainwreck."

And, wow, okay.

* * *

It _is_ entertaining, though, which is probably a good half of why she and Tooru even do it. She types her plan up, because she's awesome like that. And then she waits for school to end.

Yuna smiles as she walks into the Journalism classroom. "Riku! Welcome!"

She grins back, plopping herself down on the desk across from her. "Hey Yuna. What's new?"

Yuna giggles. _She's nervous, _Riku registers. _At least the classroom is loud._

"Well," Yuna starts, and cuts herself off to say instead, "Why don't we take a walk around campus?"

"Okay," she agrees, readily. _We could have just stayed inside, Yuna. What's accomplished from getting out of the classroom? Well. I mean. The plan doesn't quite work, but it sure does make things easier._

They have a lovely conversation as Yuna tries to maneuver her into confessing.... something. She isn't quite sure what, but Yuna's distracted enough that Riku is able to steer them into the choir room.

"Sorry, Yuna," she says apologetically, looking at the phone admittedly cleverly placed in Yuna's pocket. "No recording devices allowed in the choir room, unfortunately. Dumb, I know, but rules are rules!"

Yuna blanches. Riku lounges across the piano bench, feeling the shift in power. _My turf, Yuna. _

To her credit, Yuna recovers admirably, shutting her voice memo app off and setting her phone aside in the phone box.

"Oh," Riku chatters away. _Divert the attention. Don't let them know you know_. "Don't worry, I knew about it, so it's not illegal to record me! I know that it's hard to keep up with conversations- if I were a journalist I'd do the same thing! It must be a pain to remember what people have said, huh?"

Yuna doesn't relax. _Smart,_ Riku notes. _Smarter than I expected, actually. Dumb because she could have told me about recording me, which is normal for interviews anyways. Better to get less out of someone than to be caught._

_"_I'm dropping the bullshit now," Yuna tells her eventually, in the middle of a terribly detailed and carefully mindnumbing bit of gossip about the boy in the football team and his misplaced cleats.

Riku is disappointed for all of a second. Yuna's faces of utter pain were terribly entertaining, and she was _just_ getting to a good bit about a dog. "Finally," she sighs, instead of vocalising her thoughts. "Wow, that was probably the most boring conversation ever."

Yuna frowns. "I know that you and Tooru are faking. I'm gonna find proof, and then I'm gonna find out why, and then I'll make sure everybody knows."

Riku considers her. _Wants to go into investigative reporting. Smart, but not smarter than me. Seems to like me well enough, but maybe not Tooru? _She hums, running scales up and down the piano. Mostly because she's bored, but also because it's a hilariously effective intimidation tactic. Why, she's not sure, since she privately thinks that it's stupid as hell. _Tooru has no idea who she is, though. Should I take a risk or not?_

Yuna blinks calmly at her, twirling her pen, so Riku decides to go for it. "I'm guessing you don't have anything in particular against me and Tooru?"

"Nothing at all."

_True._ "Well, can I interest you in a mutually beneficial relationship?"

Yuna snorts a little. "Like what?"

"Me and Tooru are faking," she confirms, and Yuna gapes at her. "But us faking is hardly worthy of a full investigative bit, is it?"

A flinch. _Bingo._

_"_I'm popular," Riku continues. "I know literally everything that happens in this school. If there _is_ anything I don't know, Tooru does. You don't have those connections, though, do you?"

"No," Yuna admits slowly, a calculating gleam in her eyes. "I don't."

"Well," Riku says, clapping her hands together. "How about this- you publish our interview about us being friends, post a couple of staged photographs, let me look over the finished article, and I'll tell you something worth your time."

Yuna glares. "No fucking way. That is so unfair."

"How so?"

Yuna blinks a little, uncomfortable. "It just is!"

Riku smiles a little. _Looks like the rumors are true. _"Okay," she says, making it obvious that _she knows_. "You take a ton of staged photos that we'll help you with, and I'll help write the interview."

Yuna clicks her pen, pale. "I don't need your help to write an article, Riku."

"No,"she agrees. "But you prefer taking pictures don't you? Especially for a fluff piece like this."

"How the fuck do you know everything?" Yuna says, resigned. Riku smiles. _That's practically agreement._

"Because I'm me," she says, laughing. "Don't worry about your reputation as a writer-- I won a ton of writing competitions, remember? It'll be fine."

"I'm not worried about _that_," Yuna snorts. "Just. Um. It's really academically dishonest?"

She looks her for a moment. "Considering that you were gonna ruin both me and Tooru's reputations, I don't think that you really care about that."

Yuna squirms a little. _That's good. At least she feels guilty about it. But does she know why?_

"Seriously," she says, making eye contact with Yuna. "I respect your drive. I admire your ability to see past our bullshit acting. But exposing me and Tooru like that isn't okay."

Flushing, Yuna murmurs, "Sorry."

Riku cocks her head, plowing on. "We're faking because of the societal pressure against platonics-- you know that full well, even if you didn't register it. That stigma exists, and your reporting could've exposed us to hate. Like I said, your investigative skills are good. But. Morals, bro."

Yuna nods, sharply. "I get it."

"Just making sure," Riku says, raising her hands up. "But hey, plus side, I'm smart, I saw through it, we're all over it! And now you get all our fake dating tea! Exciting, right?"

"That was a complete one-eighty," Yuna observes. "I thought that everybody was exaggerating about your personality."

"Nope," she says cheerfully. "Here, gimme your number. We're gonna be friends now."

Yuna laughs, charmed, and Riku knows that they're gonna be okay.

"By the way, Yuna," she calls, sauntering out of the room, heading over to the gym for stunt practice. "Tip for investigations-- being honest really is the best policy. Exposes you to _tons _of back-door deals. Like the one we have right now! Great practice for when you become a hotshot reporter, really saves you from having to mysteriously die of natural causes at a tragically young age."

Yuna coughs, and Riku is satisfied.

_Im adding yuna, _she sends to the chat. _We now have an accomplished photographer on the media team_

_Holy shit, _Iwaizumi says. _This really is a heist._

_Heist,_ she thinks, warmth curling in her stomach. _I like that._

She laughs when Yuna renames the chat to:_** Heist!!!!! babey**_

* * *

She only lets herself sink into the frustration on her walk home. Because it's dark and nobody on the stunt team lives near her, she calls Tooru.

"Can you keep me on?" she asks when he picks up. "I'm walking alone, and it's super creepy."

"'Course," he agrees. "I'm walking home too."

"Oh, volleyball," she remembers. "How did practice go?"

"Same as always," he says. "How was stunt practice?"

"Same as always," she parrots. There's a comfortable silence. "...What do you think about Yuna?"

He hums. "I don't think she'll give us away. We just do a photo opp and give her something to investigate at, right? Pretty good."

"Yeah," she says. "We got lucky."

Tooru makes a non-commital sound. "I sure hope that isn't self-hatred I hear."

"No self-hate," she promises. "I'm awesome-- what's there to hate?"

A cough.

"Absolutely nothing to hate," she insists, lips twitching.

"Of course," he agrees. "Seriously though, are you angry?"

"Of course I'm angry," she says. "We literally got found out by a freshman. Absolutely shameful."

"A smart freshman," Tooru points out. "At least she's funny. And she takes good photos."

"Still," she says. "We should have told her to get her help, not be found out by her. We got _found out,_ Tooru."

"Relax," Tooru tells her. "Just be grateful that it took this long to happen."

"It shouldn't have happened at all," she points out. "Fucking nerds. Fucking Journalism."

He laughs at her, and she deflates.

"Thanks for listening to me rant," she says, smiling. "Love you. G'night."

He pauses. "Love you too," he teases. "Bye."

She blinks, confused, and then realizes. 

_Well._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im trying to keep this in chronological order, but. Itll jump around a bit, probably


	7. flowers!!!!

"Soooooooo," Riku begins, laying on the floor of Tooru's room. "Tomorrow is a minimum day-"

"No," Yuna says instantly. "I refuse to take part in any of your plans that involve waking up early."

She and Tooru pout in tandem. "C'mon," he says. "It'll be fun!"

"Yeah," Riku adds. "And you don't even know what we're planning! Don't you wanna hear?"

Yuna sighs, long and dramatic. Riku's so proud. "Okay. Tell me."

Iwaizumi snorts. "You give in way too easy," he informs her. "Make them work for it."

"Shut up Zoomie," Riku says. "Yuna, have I ever mentioned that I absolutely adore you?"

"Nope," Yuna says. "Go on."

Riku grins, squirming into a vaguely upright position. "Yuna," she says, grandly. "Light of my life, darling of my soul, my sun on a cold winter's eve. I love you-- most ardently. Indeed! The passion burns within my heart! How should I survive--"

"Stop, you're not even referencing things _right_," Tooru accuses. "What was that, like, twenty different things stuck together? Where are they even from?"

"I don't remember either," she confesses easily. "But what even is intellectual property? It doesn't exist."

"Oh, not at all," Yuna assures her. "Talk dirty to me, baby."

She and Riku burst into giggles. Tooru rolls his eyes at them, fingers playing with her hair. 

"Your words of affirmation suck," he says. "The sun doesn't even show up in the evening."

Riku swats at his knee blindly. "Like you could do any better."

"Oh, I can," he says, cocky. Iwaizumi makes gagging noises, but Tooru ignores him. "Yuna-- how could I possibly put into mere words that which I feel for you? Your--"

Iwaizumi cuts him off, at his limit. "Stop harassing the freshman," he says, hand over his face. "Weren't you going on about something before all this?"

Tooru frowns, and them brightens. "Oh, the plan!"

"Yeah, the plan!" Riku cheers. "Okay, so there's this patch of flowers on the grass outside the science building. Me 'n Tooru're gonna go there before school starts and just hang out. Maybe make flower crowns and stuff. Can you be there to sneakily photograph us?"

Yuna hums. "Okay. What time are you gonna be there?"

"Eight," Tooru says. "You can come around eight-fifteen."

Yuna and Iwaizumi both make a face. "School literally starts at nine tomorrow," Iwaizumi says. 

"We usually get there at eight on a minimum day anyways," Riku says. "That's prime hangout time. Just this once, we're mostly spending it with each other."

"I'll be there eight-thirty," Yuna says. "I refuse to go any earlier."

Tooru shrugs. "Your loss," he says. "Riku-- we need to color coordinate our clothes."

"Well," Riku says. "The flowers are white and pink, so--"

"I thought they were white and yellow," he says. 

She scrunches her nose. "If you wanna risk picking school-planted flowers, sure," she concedes. "The gardener likes me. Does he like you?"

"Of course," Tooru says smugly. "Yellow it is, then."

She hums. "Help me out in hydroponics club during lunch," she says. "You can suck up to him a little more then."

"The gardener goes to your meetings?" he says, impressed. "Okay. I can go during lunch."

"Great," she says, glancing at Yuna. "Any ideas about clothing colors?"

Yuna blinks. "Anything warm-toned should work," she says. "Oikawa, show us your closet."

Tooru pouts from where he's sprawled across his bed. "Iwa," he says, charming. "Can you open my closet for me?"

"No," Iwaizumi says. "Do it yourself, Lazykawa."

"You're closer, though," Riku points out. 

"You're the close-_est_, Riku" Yuna says. "You do it."

"Actually," she says, laying back down. "Tooru technically has the longest reach, so he _is_ closer. I changed my mind."

"Betrayed by my own soulmate," he whines. "I'm _hurt_, Riku."

She pauses, because that part sounds true. _Emotionally or physically? _

"Zoomie, darling," she says. "Did the idiot manage to hurt himself during one of your volleyball matches recently?"

Iwaizumi blinks, a considering look passing over his face. "Now that you mention it," he says. "His serves were a little bit off. Not enough that it was really noticeable, but."

_Probably his left arm or shoulder, then. Or ribs? _She twists around, rising to rest her face on Tooru's bed. Tooru scoots back, kicking his foot at her. "Stay back, foul demon," he says. "The power of Christ compels you."

She rolls her eyes, swiping his foot aside. "Is it bad?"

"Just growth pains," he admits. "It'll be fine by tomorrow."

She surveys him, and then accepts it. "Okay," she says. "Wow, your bed is comfy."

"I know, right?" Iwaizumi says. "Perks of being rich, I guess."

Riku worms her way up, because _why was I on the floor when the bed is so much better? _

And then she is hit in the face with a very pink hoodie. "What the fuck, Yuna," she says.

Yuna pokes her head from Tooru's closet. "Oops. I was aiming for Oikawa."

"Fine," Riku accepts. "A good reason. You're forgiven."

"Oh thank you, Your Majesty," Yuna snorts. "Oikawa, wear that tomorrow. Riku, wear yellow."

Riku considers the hoodie. "Okay," she says. "I think I can find something."

"We need to bring some superglue too," Tooru says. "Otherwise the flower crowns will barely last five minutes."

"That's because you suck at weaving them," Riku says haughtily, sniffing.

"We suck the same amount," Tooru points out, chin held just as high. "Considering that my skill stems from yours."

Riku waves it off. "Details."

"Wow," Iwaizumi observes. "How does it feel to have such inflated egos?"

They turn on him. "Confidence does not equal egotism," she says, tilting her head back to look down on him. "Peasant."

Yuna cracks immediately, laughing.

"You _really_ need to work on keeping a straight face," Tooru says, amused. 

"Whatever, Oikawa," Yuna says flippantly. 

"I told you to call me Tooru," he says. 

"No you didn't," Yuna says. "But thanks, Tooru."

Riku squeezes his hand. _Thank you._

Tooru squeezes back, and they lie there, planning and chatting and _living._

_This is nice,_ she thinks, warm. _I'm glad to be a teenager, sometimes._

In the morning, he makes her a flower crown, set artfully on her messy curls, the sun golden against their skin. She makes him a flower bracelet and tucks a particularly vivid bloom behind his ear, because gender roles or something. Yuna goes into a fit of artistic inspiration after walking upon them 'by chance', and they take fifteen minutes before school starts to branch off and socialize. 

They absolutely _kill_ the ethereal flower-fairy look.

Flowers show up in people's hair the day after. They politely pretend that they don't know why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have decided that theyre sophomores. Also, im making it so theres no school uniform except in sports n things. uniforms SUCK.


End file.
